Heparin Effective and Safe Treatment for COVID-19

Heparin, a widely available and affordable drug, has been found to limit lung damage when inhaled by COVID-19 patients. The world-first findings from The Australian National University with King’s are published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.The researchers are coordinating multiple studies tracking hospital patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 in 13 countries given doses of inhaled

Researchers found breathing and oxygen levels improved in 70% of patients after inhaling a course of Heparin. is unique as it has anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and anticoagulant effects, which are relevant for treating patients with COVID-19 can prevent severe COVID-19 disease from developing blood clots in the lungs. Because it has antiviral properties, it can be used at different stages of treatment. In some studies, patients were not uniformly affected, suggesting inhaled Heparin is safe and effective for all COVID-19 disease severity.

Study lead Professor Frank van Haren from The Australian National University said that the drug is already available in hospitals worldwide and inexpensive. If it is as effective as our early results suggest, it could significantly impact our fight against COVID.”Inhaled Heparin has antiviral properties that work by binding to the spike proteins the coronavirus uses to enter the body’s cells. Inhaled effectively stops the virus from infecting cells in the lungs and could prevent people from getting the virus from other states.

The study’s co-author said that it also works as an anti-inflammatory drug—the medicine can calm everything down when the body is mounting an exaggerated response to the virus. We already know Heparin can reduce lung damage caused by this inflammation and the immune response overdrive that we see in other lung diseases, which could benefit patients hospitalized with COVID-19.